Stormtrooper
right|thumb|180px|Imperial Stormtrooper with ST-II Blaster Carbine The Imperial Stormtrooper is recognisable across the galaxy. They are an elite fighting force whose loyality is owed not to those they serve alongside but the Emperor himself; his private army and enforcers. A stormtrooper division stationed aboard a Star Destroyer or garrisoned on a planet is as much a reminder of the supremacy of the Emperor as it is a military asset. Established by Emperor Palpatine in 19 BBY as a clause in his Declaration of a New Order, the Stormtrooper Legions operate alongside Army and Navy, History thumb|left|180px|Clonetrooper armor from the Clone WarsImperial Stormtroopers are direct descendants of the Grand Army of the Republic, established during the Clone Wars. By the time of the Galactic Civil War and the Battle of Yavin, few clones were still used by the Empire. The continuing march of years and the subsequent conflicts have all but eradicated them. Player Characters in the Stormtrooper Legions Despite the elite nature of the Stormtrooper legions, much of their duties are mundane and routine. Patrols, combat drills and guard duty remain a core of military life. Therefore individually minor roles are considered the realm of NPC's. Player characters are 'front-line' officers of the 203rd Legion responsible for both planning, overseeing and conducting combat operations with many troopers under their command. Recruitment The Stormtrooper legions operate stringent recruitment criteria. Their ranks are open only to those born as Imperial citizens and even then, only to pure-blood humans or those near-humans with satisfactory Imperial service in the last two generations of their family. Aliens are not permitted. Stormtroopers may be of any gender, but there is no variance in the fitness criteria. All candidates must be at least five feet ten inches tall, possess excellent visual acuity, physical fitness, reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Once an applicatant has satisfied these basic physical criteria, they are closely scrutinised. Extensive background checks are requested of the Imperial Security Bureau to establish the proper moral fibre and extensive psychological testing determines mental fitness. If a candidate has not been eliminated by this stage, mental conditioning accompanies martial training so that by the time a stormtrooper joins the legions, they're a finely honed weapon of single-minded purpose and devoted to the ideals of the New Order. Organization Imperial Stormtroopers are trained to fight in every environment and from every platform imaginable; from the hard vacuum of space, to scorching deserts and freezing polar regions. On foot, from armoured walkers and even aboard starfighters and gunships. In addition to their own considerable equipment, they are expected to make use of available resources and adapt to their environment to achieve results. The Stormtrooper Legions maintain their own, simplified, chain of command intended to preserve their flexibility and independence. Legion - 9,556 units; '''Four Regiments *8,192 troopers *1,364 officers Commanding Officer: General '''Regiment - 2,388 units; Four Battallions *2,048 troopers *340 officers Commanding Officer: Colonel Batallion - 596 units; Four companies *512 troopers *84 officers Commanding Officer: Major Company - 148 units; Four platoons *128 troopers *20 officers Commanding Officer: Captain Platoon - 36 Units; Four squads *32 troopers *4 officers Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Squad - 9 Units *8 troopers *1 officer Commanding Officer: Sergeant Vehicles & Crews - 244 units * All Terrain Armored Transports (AT-AT's) * All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST's) * 74-Z Speeder Bikes Protocol In the field or when otherwise on duty, Stormtroopers are identified according to coded identification numbers; A two-letter designation indicates legion assignment, while each number preceeding identifies their regiment, batallion, company, platoon and squad. * E.g. TK-132137 is the seventh member of the third squad, first platoon, second company, third batallion, first regiment of his (501st) legion. Commissioned officers terminate their designation at their command level. * E.g. TK-1321 is the Lieutneant in command of the first platoon of the second company, of the third batallion, of the first regiment. To aid identification in the field, officers may elect to wear a coloured shoulder cover. Despite this dispensation, many choose not to do so citing its helpfulness to enemy snipers. When addressing a superior of any branch, the correct term is always 'Sir' regardless of gender. A subordinate is identified either by their ID number when in the field or by rank and family name elsewhere. Stormtroopers in battle armour do not salute, but do stand to attention circumstances permitting. Equipment Weaponry thumb|left|120px|The E-11 and ST-I is the standard armament of an Imperial StormtrooperThe SoroSuub Stormtrooper One blaster rifle is the standard issue weapon of the Stormtrooper Legions, manufactured exclusively for their use having replaced the virtually identical BlasTech E-11 after the Battle of Yavin. While the E-11 remains the most widely used rifle in the Empire today, it is not parts compatible with the Stormtrooper One. Both weapons are based upon the successful DC-15 Blaster Carbine. A folding stock allows for increased accuracy at range without sacrificing mobility in close environments. It is a rugged, efficient and deadly weapon.. During the Imperial Blitzkrieg, Grand Admiral Kreldin and Warlord Korolov worked to produce a third-generation rifle. While early development and testing seemed encouraging, these 'Stormtrooper Three' rifles have proven to be highly unreliable in the field, prone to malfunction, overheating, and deonation. One trooper in each squad typically carries a squad support weapon - the Stormtrooper Two, a light-repeating blaster canon for use against light vehicles or the rapid-firing DLT-19. Both are large and cumbersome weapons requiring a backpack power-source to feed their staggering charge consumption, but provides essential support to a squad in the field. Many myths circulate about Stormtrooper equipment, including that each stormtrooper carries a thermal detonator on their utility belt. The Stormtroopers do nothing to disabuse the ignorant of this notion, but In truth the mysterious canister contains only drinking water - a vital but mundane requirement of field operations. Armor thumb|right|120px|A cross section of a Stormtrooper's helmetThe standard Stormtrooper Armor is a series of white plasteel plates forming a shell worn over an environmentally sealed black body glove. The assembled set completely encases the body and typically offers no individually identifying marks. Stormtrooper Armor provides excellent protection against harsh environments, projectiles and impact weapons. The armour might be penetrated by modern, military-grade blasters but significantly reduces injury. Imperial Stormtroopers have long used armour variants featuring adaptations for extreme environments; so called 'Snowtrooper' and 'Sandtrooper' armour being amongs the most common. These are functionally identical to standard armour, save for further mitigating the worst effects of the environment. Imperial Stormtroopers undertaking reconnaisance work often wear Scout-trooper Armor. Lighter and less restrictive than the standard battle armour, it continues to provide good resistance against environmental hazards but substantially sacrifices protection from attack. Following an embarrasing defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Stormtrooper Legions have instituted a reform which approves the incorporation of camoflague when operating in dense jungle. Extra thumb|left|180px|Portable holo-recievers are a standard part of an officers kit. Some sets, particularly those worn by officers, include special features such as a wrist comlink, a tiny holocam built into the helmet, a proper resonator (to open secure doors) or an external helmet light. For extended operations, stormtroopers carry field backpacks that included a personal tent, five concentrated rations, fifteen water packs, eight blaster power packs, and a glowrod. Vehicles The Stormtrooper legions maintain a number of vehicles, deploying them as the situation demands. Most infamous of these are the All-Terrain Armored-Transport and All-Terrain Scout-Transport. The legions also make use of speeder bikes to support reconnaisance and rapid response units. Category:Imperial Entities & Terminology Category:Military Units Category:Imperial Organizations